New York - AFP
An Andy Warhol self-portrait done a year before the pop artist's death was auctioned by Sotheby's for more than $30 million. "Six Self Portraits", which was done in 1986 and features six images of Warhol, had been valued at between $25 million and $35 million, and in the end went for $30.1 million. The sale was part of an auction of post-war and contemporary art. On Tuesday the Warhol work "Race Riot" was auctioned by Christie's for $62.89 million. And his "White Marilyn" went for $41.1 million. His work "Silver Car Crash" (Double Disaster) was auctioned for more than $105 million in November. Another big item up for grabs Wednesday at Sotheby's was the sculpture "Popeye" by Jeff Koons. It went for $28.2 million, above its estimated value of $25 million. The painting "Blau" (Blue) by the German Gerhard Richter was sold for $28.2 million. The spring auctions of post-war and Contemporary art by Christie's and Sotheby's were dominated this year by American Barnett Newman. His "Black Fire I" was acquired Tuesday for more than $84 million, a record for that artist. Newman's work outdid a tryptic by Britain's Francis Bacon, "Three Studies for a Portrait of John Edwards", which sold for more than $80 million. Spring art auctions opened last week in New York with Impressionist and Modern works, and will conclude at the end of the month.